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Happy Thursday, Families!

It has been a busy week at HJH. Please take a moment to review this week’s Blackhawk Beat.

Spring Break is next week, and we hope you have a wonderful and restful time to recharge before we begin the final push toward the end of the semester.

When we return, please take note of two important dates:

On Tuesday, March 24 at 5:30 PM, we will host our PTA Meeting in the Library, featuring HEB ISD Safety Director Dan Phillips.

On Wednesday, March 25 from 5:00–9:00 PM, we will have a Give-Back Night at Jason’s Deli, located at Airport Freeway and Central.

We look forward to seeing our Harwood families at these events. 

Join Harwood PTA board! 

Cameron Ramirez
Principal

Go Time/ Homebase

As STAAR testing approaches, we are implementing a daily Go-Time/Homebase (GT/HB) advisory intervention during the school day. This will continue through the completion of STAAR testing and replaces after-school mandatory tutorials. The purpose of this time is to provide targeted, skill-based support in all tested subjects so that every student receives instruction aligned to their specific academic needs.

All 8th grade students have been provided subject-specific STAAR preparation materials. These resources will be used daily in Go-Time/Homebase. While students may have similar materials, groups have been intentionally created based on performance data and instructional need to ensure focused practice and direct support across content areas.

Student Expectations:

• Students must bring all assigned STAAR preparation materials and their ORANGE Schedule to their designated Go-Time/Homebase group every day.

• The ORANGE Schedule may change daily. Students are responsible for monitoring updates.

• Students must keep all materials organized and secure. Lost materials disrupt progress and accountability.

• Students will complete assigned practice during Go-Time/Homebase each day.

Grading Information:

• When students actively participate and complete assigned work during class, a teacher will initial the corresponding section in their materials.

• Students who earn all required teacher initials will receive a 100 in Category A for the Six Weeks.

• If a student does not complete assigned work during Go-Time/Homebase, they may:

  • Complete the work at home and receive a parent initial, or

  • Bring the completed work to the appropriate content teacher for an initial.

Every student has a clear pathway to earn a 100 by completing the required work.

Parent Partnership:

Consistent reinforcement at home strengthens the impact of this intervention. Families should:

• Check daily that students have their required materials and ORANGE Schedule.

• Ensure materials are kept in a consistent, safe location.

• Confirm that unfinished work is completed at home when necessary.

• Provide initials when appropriate.

Students must maintain their materials, follow their ORANGE Schedule, and complete assigned practice daily. This structured intervention is designed to strengthen readiness across all subjects and maximize student performance on STAAR.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

🎓 9th Grade Banquet – Legacy Loading…

We are excited to celebrate our 9th Grade Class at this year’s banquet, “Legacy Loading…”, on Friday, May 15, 2026!

The evening will begin with an Awards Ceremony from 6:00–6:30 PM in the Gym (parents and families are invited). Following the ceremony, students will enjoy a banquet celebration from 6:30–8:30 PM in the Cafeteria.  Banquet tickets can be purchased for $15.00 in the front office or online at https://hebisd.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/18952/191/False/True. More information will be coming soon. 

We look forward to celebrating the hard work, growth, and accomplishments of our freshman class as their legacy continues to load! 

Updates

• Troy-Ann Try-Outs- Please see the flyer! Deadline Approaching!

• Yearbooks - From spirit days to big moments with friends, the Harwood Junior High School yearbook captures the memories students will want to look back on for years to come.  Reserve your copy of the Harwood Junior High School yearbook today before orders close!  Last Chance to Order Accessories: March 15 Enhance your student’s yearbook with accessories that make it uniquely theirs. Accessories add personality and extra fun to the yearbook experience — be sure to check out all available options when placing your order.  

Order now at https://tinyurl.com/HJHYearbook26

• HJH Volunteers-

We are incredibly thankful for all you do to support the Harwood Junior High students, staff, and community. Your time and dedication make a tremendous difference, and we want to recognize our amazing volunteers who work so hard throughout the year.

In order to properly recognize and celebrate you, we need your help. We ask that every volunteer:

• Complete the VIPS background check
• Log your volunteer hours

Logging your hours helps us capture the many ways you support HJH. It also shows our community how strongly you believe in our public schools. When others may speak negatively about schools or students, your commitment speaks volumes. By volunteering and documenting your time, you provide valuable data that demonstrates the strength and support behind Harwood Junior High.

To sign up for VIPS or to log your volunteer hours, please visit:
https://www.hebisd.edu/departments/vips-volunteers/vips-volunteers

If you have any questions about the process or need assistance logging your hours, please contact Crystal Sadler at crystalsadler@hebisd.edu.

• In honor of Women’s History Month, we are highlighting amazing women from history each day to inspire our students and celebrate the impact women have made throughout time on our morning announcements.

• Speaking of Women’s History Month, we are also hosting an Art Contest! All artwork entries are due by Friday, March 27th. We encourage students to be creative and show us what Women’s History Month means to them through their artwork.

• 3/13 is World Down Syndrome Day- We will wear BOLD socks!

• Students who attend Trinity must go to Trinity in the afternoons. If they are in need of tutorials, they must attend in the mornings. 

Celebrating a Great Week!

It has been a great week at Harwood. 

We were honored to welcome Julie Cole, HEB ISD Board Member, to Harwood this week as she personally delivered invitations to the HEB ISD Employee Banquet to our Teacher of the Year, Mr. Martell, and Service Pin recipients celebrating milestone years of service. Congratulations to Coach Drennan-Wilson, Ms. Kepler, and Coach Martinez for 10 years of dedicated service to HEB ISD, and to Ms. Rolf for an incredible 30 years of service.

We are grateful for their commitment, passion, and the lasting impact they continue to make on our students and school community.

Bobby Bragan Scholarship Winner

We are so proud of Sophie Alam! She earned the Bobby Bragan Scholarship, a distinction awarded to outstanding eighth-grade students across the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Selected through a competitive process recognizing academic excellence, character, leadership, and commitment to community, Sopie exemplifies the purpose of this scholarship. This honor reflects her discipline, integrity, and long-term commitment to education, and it affirms her readiness to pursue continued success in high school, college, and beyond. 

Beauty and the Beast, Jr.

Let’s give a HUGE congratulations to Mrs. Campbell and the incredible cast and crew of Beauty and the Beast Jr.!

More than 60 students poured their hearts into this production, delivering four fantastic performances over the weekend. After more than 75 hours of rehearsal over the past three months, their hard work, passion, and dedication truly paid off on stage.

We are beyond proud of the talent, courage, and teamwork shown by every student involved. Thank you for sharing your gifts with our Harwood community — you made it magical!

Tennis- 

The tennis team kicked off the season with an impressive 12–5 victory over Hurst Junior High in their first match last week!

The singles players led the way with outstanding performances. Singles winners included Bridget Hentz, Meggan Todorov, Hannah Dip, Chloe Kealler, Lily Brand, Josh Musyoki, Blake Griffin, and Abdel Abdelkarim.

The team also had several strong doubles teams earn victories. Doubles winners were Bridget H. and Hannah D., Lily B. and Chloe K., Blake G. and Cameron Campos, and Ethan B. and Kyrie W.

Coach Raybuck is so proud of all of your hard work! Congratulations to the entire team on a well fought match

______________________________________

Ongoing Reminders

Dress Code Reminder

As temperatures change, this is a friendly reminder about our campus dress code expectations. We are asking for your help in reminding your students about the following guidelines:

• No crop tops
• No off-the-shoulder shirts unless a tank top (at least three-finger width) is worn underneath
• Shorts and skirts must be longer than fingertip length
• Shorts must be worn at the regular waistline
• Undergarments should not be visible
• No pajamas or slippers
• Student IDs must be visible at all times

Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a positive, safe, and focused learning environment at Harwood.

No Door Dash- No food deliveries from a third party delivery service will be given to students during the school day. 

Cell Phone Policy- For alignment with other HEB ISD junior highs, the first time a cell phone is confiscated will be treated as a warning. If a student has a cell phone out during the school day, it will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day for the first infraction.

For the second infraction and any subsequent violations, a parent or guardian must retrieve the cell phone, and the student will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. This is by incident. Any personal communication device will count as an incident.

No Meta Glasses- These fall under the same category of personal communication devices and will be confiscated. 

• Beginning January 2026, all HEB ISD bus riders should have and use a SMART Tag each time they ride.

While all students are expected to use their SMART Tag, this requirement will be actively enforced for secondary students (grades 7–12). Students who do not present a valid SMART Tag may be denied bus service, including for athletics, band, and CTE shuttles.

HEB ISD provides a free SMART Tag to every student. Replacement SMART Tags can be purchased at your student’s campus front office.
Thank you for helping us keep transportation safe, efficient, and accountable for all riders.

For questions, please contact HEB ISD Transportation at 817-399-2441.

• Replacement IDs $3, Lanyards $1.00

• The 2024-2025 School Report Card has been added to the Helpful Resources Page and is linked here.
  
  

• Students may not leave campus in the mornings.

• Students who attend Trinity must go to Trinity in the afternoons. If they are in need of tutorials, they must attend in the mornings. 

• Drop-off/pick-up: Please pull all the way to the gym; front entrance reserved for buses.
  
  

• Wednesdays = College Day / Thursdays = Spirit Day.
  
  

• Volunteer Fridays: Volunteers must be cleared through the district VIPS. 

• Support our teachers by preparing classroom materials (copies, sorting, etc.).

• 👉 Sign up here
  
  

🙌 Thank you for your support and partnership in making this year a success!

– Dr. Ramirez